Monitor Terminal?

How do monitors die? My two year-old HP 2010i has suddenly decided to darken, as if hit by a half-power switch. Is this what monitors do when they die?

Monitors deteriorate, but I guess they can die in many different ways.

Perhaps you could find another monitor to check that the fault isn't actually the video card or something else.

Thanks John. I have a laptop I can hook up and an older monitor, so I'll test with both tonight.

The symptoms you describe could be the backlight giving up the ghost.

If you Google for monitor backlight you'll see what I mean. I have never replaced a backlight or whatever it is that causes the backlight to go but there is a lot on the Web about it and most of it says it is fairly easy to do.

If you don't fancy having a go yourself is there a local computer shop you could try?

Dave

Before trying anything else, just try a new kettle lead and plug into a different socket - just in case

Panic over. All your suggestions made me think further about possible causes, and when an HP systems check failed to complete in eight hours I then looked at the Nvidia Control Panel.

"Other applications control color settings"

Oh really, how come? Well, howsabout if I let Nvidia control its own business - then I can rack up the brightness, maybe.

And so it was.

Which other software might have been controlling the brightness I don't know, nor why the brightness should suddenly have taken an overnight dive. But one click brought it back to life.

Many thanks for all your thoughts !!